A raised sub-floor, constructed on posts or pedestals above the true floor of a structure, is a common design feature in computer room installations. This feature enables the cables and conduits of the electrical power distribution network and the assorted system interconnections to be located out of the way of the equipment operators. The raised sub-floor is becoming more common in conventional office space due to the automation of the modern office.
A proper ground is essential for both the equipment and the power distribution network to insure proper operation of the electronic devices and protect the operators. The equipment grounds and the power distribution ground must be interconnected to assure that there is no difference in electrical potential between components. This interconnection typically occurs beneath the raised sub-floor.
Safety regulations in the United States National Electrical Code (NEC) and the Canadian Electrical Code (CEC) require that all non-current carrying metal parts in these installations be grounded. It is convenient to establish a signal reference grid of crossing conductors beneath the raised sub-floor that incorporates the posts of the raised sub-floor to establish multiple conducting paths to ground. The grid assures that there is no voltage difference across the floor and that the floor has an impedance to ground that does not inhibit the flow of fault current. The low impedance to ground enables the grid to attenuate high-frequency noise which might effect electronic data transmission, ground the power distribution system to minimize the effects of noise from the power distribution system on the Automatic Data Processing (ADP) equipment and ground the capacitance charge, such as static electricity, present in the environment of the installation.
Because conductors of the signal reference grid typically cross at locations corresponding to the posts of the raised sub-floor, it would be helpful to have a single connector that is capable of fastening a plurality of conductors to a post without requiring the path of the conductor to be substantially altered. In addition, the connector should be: inexpensive; simple to install; usable over a range of conductor sizes and compatible with a range of post sizes and shapes.